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The South Baltimore 7 Coalition has withdrawn its support of a proposed $10 billion maglev high-speed train after formerly backing the project in September.
The coalition’s lawyer said the nonprofit did not have approval from a majority of the board members, which is required by the bylaws.
The coalition’s chair, Michael Middleton, said board members will likely vote again once additional information is reviewed. A specific date for a revote has not been determined.
Keisha Allen of Westport said she had no idea a press release about the coalition’s change in position was going out Tuesday, but she had reservations about the initial voting outcome. She and a representative from the Brooklyn neighborhood previously voted against the high-speed train project. The neighborhoods of Lakeland, Cherry Hill and Mount Winans voted in favor of maglev support and Curtis Bay abstained.
While Allen said she appreciates a revote, she doesn’t think one coalition should decide for all neighborhoods because it doesn’t affect them all the same.
”The SB7 was not designed to bully other neighborhoods into supporting what they want for their neighborhoods,” she said.
Middleton said as the nonprofit’s chair he tries to work in the interest of all communities and the nature of SB7 is to connect and expand beyond the borders of a single neighborhood.
“We are six communities and my belief has long been that neither of us as an individual neighborhood will survive or grow if the others don’t,” he said.
The maglev train would come through a part of Westport and a stop is proposed for Cherry Hill. A 43-acre property in Westport is entangled in a legal battle between Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail and Stonewall Capital, a developer with plans to build townhomes, affordable housing and green spaces.
The coalition represents several communities — Mount Winans, Curtis Bay, Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, Westport and Lakeland — and representatives from the nearby Port Covington development are also involved. Allen, the president of the Westport Neighborhood Association, said a vote was taken to gauge whether the coalition would show support for the project and seek a community benefit agreement.
In a previous interview, Middleton, the executive director of the Cherry Hill Development Corporation said that South Baltimore has been a “long-ignored” area of the city and the rail project is an opportunity to enhance economic development.
jasmine.vaughn@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Jasmine Vaughn-Hall is a neighborhood and community reporter at the Baltimore Banner, covering the people, challenges, and solutions within West Baltimore. Have a tip about something happening in your community? Taco recommendations? Call or text Jasmine at 443-608-8983.
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